SAAB not happy with MoD

[MartG]

In an open letter to the MoD, SAAB UK have expressed their unhappiness at the non-competitive procurement of an AWACS replacement from Boeing.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/10/22/sa...

Looks like MoD are following the mantra to buy US kit wherever possible

[DuraAce]

MartG said:

Looks like MoD are following the mantra to buy US kit wherever possible

Interoperability (and economy of scale for purchase and future mods) though isn't it?

We've already got crews training on the P8, the new Chinook, rivet joint etc.
Make sense to stick with what the US purchase, particularly for small fleets, IMHO.
Majority of ops are joint so if we can blag spares, gse etc from them when we are short then it's a winner.

[IanH755]

Yeap, the MoD want that bit of kit but still have to jump through the "competitive quotes" hoops to make sure that the days of 1 guy lining his pockets by giving a big contract to one firm without competition then jumping ship to join them after leaving the MoD are long gone.

[aeropilot]

DuraAce said:

MartG said:

Looks like MoD are following the mantra to buy US kit wherever possible

Interoperability (and economy of scale for purchase and future mods) though isn't it?

We've already got crews training on the P8, the new Chinook, rivet joint etc.
Make sense to stick with what the US purchase, particularly for small fleets, IMHO.

Aussie's have it as well, and their use of it in the ME has shown it to be the best option, along with all the above reasons. I think we may also have personel on exchange with the RAAF Wedgetail units?

For once, MOD have made a sensible and logical decision, and they are getting slagged off for it
How can you have a competition between something already in use and something that doesn't even exist, let alone know if it would work.
Plus the govt have finally realised the stupid PFI option is a crock of smelly stuff, so again, the non-existent Saab/Airbus option falls by the wayside, not to mention the as stated waste of MOD finances and time to service introduction that a competition would involve.

[IanH755]

aeropilot said:

How can you have a competition between something already in use and something that doesn't even exist, let alone know if it would work.

If you're SAAB and you keep missing out on contracts maybe it's your companies process of only having paper designs that needs changing rather than being "furious" at your potential future customers and attempting to embarrass them, which obviously doesn't bode well for any future talks about buying any SAAB kit!

I do find it baffling that, if SAAB/Airbus were so confident in their design, why haven't they made at least make one airframe for demo/testing purposes to show around the globe, I mean it looks more like neither have the cash to do that which again, doesn't bode well for future bids.

I'd read that the same complaint was made by others for the new ASW A/C and the new Chinooks which, almost every time, comes back to a company wanting a lengthy and expensive competition ran between a pre-existing (and flying) model and a paper aircraft and those days are long gone with the reduced budgets we've got now, plus the long drawn-out F-35 process has burnt too many fingers in procurement too.

[dvs_dave]

MOD wants a bit of kit that is proven, reliable, is available on a short lead, and with predictable costs.

SAAB’s vaporware does not satisfy any of those parameters. Boeing’s product does. No other organisations are offering any viable alternative products.

Other than wasting time and money, what would a big RFP process achieve over what is already patently obvious?

MOD procurement made a totally sensible choice for once, and its nothing but sour grapes from those muppets at SAAB.

[hidetheelephants]

aeropilot said:

Aussie's have it as well, and their use of it in the ME has shown it to be the best option, along with all the above reasons. I think we may also have personel on exchange with the RAAF Wedgetail units?

For once, MOD have made a sensible and logical decision, and they are getting slagged off for it
How can you have a competition between something already in use and something that doesn't even exist, let alone know if it would work.
Plus the govt have finally realised the stupid PFI option is a crock of smelly stuff, so again, the non-existent Saab/Airbus option falls by the wayside, not to mention the as stated waste of MOD finances and time to service introduction that a competition would involve.

The Kawasaki P1 certainly exists, yet the MoD seemed to make no effort at all to consider it as a serious option, despite at least superficially being a much closer facsimile of Nimrod in terms of capability.

[Scaleybrat]

hidetheelephants said:

he Kawasaki P1 certainly exists, yet the MoD seemed to make no effort at all to consider it as a serious option, despite at least superficially being a much closer facsimile of Nimrod in terms of capability.

P1 is an MRA, competing against Poseidon, not Wedgetail